Sharpsburg in Washington County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

1862 Antietam Campaign

Lee Invades Maryland

By Bill Coughlin, August 13, 2013

1. 1862 Antietam Campaign Marker

Inscription. Fresh from victory at the Second Battle of Manassas, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River on September 4-6, 1862, to bring the Civil War to Northern soil and to recruit sympathetic Marylanders. Union Gen. George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac pursued Lee, who had detached Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s force to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry. After the Federals pushed the remaining Confederates out of the South Mountain gaps, Lee awaited Jackson's return near Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek.

On September 17, at the Battle of Antietam, the two armies clashed in the bloodiest single day in American history and suffered some 23,000 casualties. Lee soon retreated across the Potomac, ending his first invasion of the north.

Follow in the footsteps of Gens. Lee and McClellan along Maryland Civil War Trail’s Antietam Campaign: Lee Invades Maryland, a 90 mile tour route that allows you to explore the stories of triumph and tragedy at more than 60 Civil War sites. Please travel carefully as you enjoy the beauty and history along the trail.

Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.

Location. 39° 27.877′ N, 77° 43.644′ W. Marker is in Sharpsburg

By Bill Coughlin, August 13, 2013

2. 1862 Antietam Campaign Marker

, Maryland, in Washington County. Marker is on Boonesboro Pike (Maryland Route 34), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is located on the Antietam Battlefield, in front of the Newcomer House. Marker is in this post office area: Sharpsburg MD 21782, United States of America.

More about this marker. The background of the marker contains a map showing the locations of Civil War Trails markers pertaining to the 1862 Antietam Campaign. Also present on the marker are portraits of the commanders of the opposing armies during the Battle of Antietam: Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Union Gen. George B. McClellan. Sketches on the marker depict “Franklin’s Corps storming Crampton’s Gap on South Mountain” and “The Confederate army cross[ing]

By Bill Coughlin, August 13, 2013

3. Marker on the Antietam Battlefield

The marker is located in front of the Newcomer House, seen in the background. The Antietam Campaign marker is the leftmost of the three shown here.

The Union attack was directed at the area around this church during the early phase of the Battle of Antietam.

By Bill Coughlin, August 13, 2013

5. Bloody Lane

Intense fighting took place along this sunken road during the mid-morning phase of the battle. More than 2,000 Confederates used this lane as a fortification and held off repeated attacks by almost 10,000 Union troops before finally falling back.

By Bill Coughlin, August 13, 2013

6. Burnside Bridge

The final phase of the battle involved this lower bridge over Antietam Creek. A small group of Georgians and other Confederates held off troops under Gen. Ambrose Burnside until late in the day.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2017. This page originally submitted on August 15, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 387 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 15, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.